Smoky Bay’s main claim to fame is their wonderful oysters which Eric and I sample every time we cvisit here. It has a fantastic jetty, high grade boat ramp facilities and a wide sweeping bay. The town also boasts a golf course and a licensed general store.
Right next to the caravan park is the local community club. Every night as the sun starts to set, travellers from all over the country side are seen walking up to club for a sundowner and an evening meal.
The Smoky Bay jetty is the centrepiece of the town and the perfect place to catch local King George Whiting, Flathead, Snook and Garfish. Eric and I have also spent countless hours on the jetty catching Squid and the quantity of 'squid ink stains' on the jetty, is a true testament to the popularity of this type of fishing. The buzz around the camp this year is to use a black squid jig for best results.
Boat fishing is definitely the way to go, we only have a 'tinny' which is perfect for us as it fits onto the roof of our car. Park patrons are seen exiting the park at first light and only return when their bag limit is full, the wind has picked up or they have just simply stopped biting. We are out every day, weather permitting.
Razor fishing is also very popular with fisherman as they are so very easy to collect, the scallop inside a delicacy to eat and the entrails of the shell perfect bait for catching King George whiting.
Eric and I also set drop nets for Blue Manner Crabs and they have been huge this year. Every now and then you catch a Spider Crab in your net, horrible looking things which we definitely throw back. Pictured with one is our friend Ken Nicolay.
Smoky Bay's coastline was first sighted and mapped by Matthew Flinders in 1802. He named it 'Smoky Bay' after the amount of smoke which could be seen from fires that had been lit by the local Aborigines in the area.
In the early 1860’s pastoralists arrived in the area. One such sheep grazing property owned by Charles Heath was called Wallanippie, which was named after an Aboriginal waterhole near his homestead at the back of Point Brown Promontory.
In the early 1900’s buildings started to appear at Smoky Bay, the first in 1905. In 1911 the Post office was established and a repeating station. Living quarters were then also built to accommodate the workers. The town continued to grow with a school, town hall by 1909 and then the Smoky Bay jetty in 1913.
The town of Smoky Bay was surveyed in 1913 under the name of Wallanippie, along with the aforementioned jetty and a Harbor's Board reserve. A large galvanised iron goods shed and a railway line extending to the far end of the jetty was established, allowing the town to operate as a port.
The town's original name of 'Wallanippie' was officially changed to 'Smoky Bay' in 1940. This was due to the fact that locals had always called the place ‘Smoky Bay’ since the towns establishment.
Just like Haslam 30 kilometres away to the west, by the mid 1900’s the port was no longer viable, leaving the town as just a residential and agricultural centre for the surrounding community.
The growing of oysters was established in the Smoky Bay in 1988. This provided a new economic facet for the town, along with the towns growing popularity as a tourist destination.
